February 2025 Outlook
IANRE Director Jodie Anderson:
Last week, I was honored to be invited to present at the 花椒直播 Legislature鈥檚 Senate Special Committee on Arctic Affairs. It was a privilege to present to them an overview of the work our researchers are accomplishing within the context of agriculture in the Arctic.
I believe that if we are going to move agriculture forward as a state, 花椒直播 must not only establish itself as a leader in this area, but we must also develop relationships with partner nations in the Arctic to share knowledge. I did my best to convey this to our state leadership in hopes that we can work together toward this common goal. I also recommended a separate future presentation on our forestry research, as we must highlight that unique work within the boreal forests of 花椒直播, part of the largest terrestrial ecosystem on Earth.
I mentioned in this column a few months ago that for the first time in many years, our Institute is included in the University of 花椒直播 capital budget request. While I was in Juneau, I had many meetings with legislators to discuss this, and over and over I was met with support and enthusiasm.
I know our state faces significant budget challenges this year, but I鈥檓 also heartened to see not only the hard work and dedication of our lawmakers to do what is best for our state but also resounding support in Juneau for taking 花椒直播鈥檚 food system seriously.
As we move forward, I hope that you all know our Institute will continue to be good stewards of all of the support we garner, and that we will continue to do our part to enrich the lives of 花椒直播ns.
Be well,
Jodie
Cooperative Extension director candidate presentations set for Feb. 25
The finalist for the director position of the 花椒直播 Cooperative
Extension Service will make two presentations on campus Tuesday, Feb. 25.
Tim Kock (pronounced 鈥渃ook鈥) will discuss how the Cooperative Extension Service can meet its stakeholders鈥 needs during the next decade.
His first presentation will be at 1 p.m. in Room 501 of the Akasofu Building on the Fairbanks campus. Kock鈥檚 presentation will also be viewable .
At 5 p.m. the same day, Kock will repeat the presentation for the general public at the Tanana District Cooperative Extension Office, 1000 University Ave., Room 108, or .
Kock was raised on a livestock (sheep and cattle) and forage (alfalfa) crop operation in Nebraska and joined 4-H at age 8. He holds a master's degree and doctorate in extension education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Oklahoma State University.
Kock started his 25-year professional extension career as a 4-H youth development agent in Yuma, Arizona, and then moved into international development work. He has worked in countries around the world, including Afghanistan, Georgia, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan and Rwanda.
Kock was dean and director of extension and research in the Northern Marianas Islands and, most recently, director of extension at a new institute he helped build in Rwanda.
There, he helped construct parts of the campus and a 2,000-acre farm for the Rwandan Institute for Conservation Agriculture. He also worked with faculty to develop academic courses for the institute and hands-on learning short courses for students and faculty.
For more information, contact Alex Wilson at jawilson16@alaska.edu or 907-474-5807.
Crone named director of Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center
鈥 Laura Weingartner
花椒直播鈥 Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center in
Palmer welcomes Nelson Crone as the new farm director. Crone will oversee day-to-day
operations at the farm, coordinate research with faculty, assist with programs for
the Mat-Su/Copper River Cooperative Extension Service and champion public engagement
for the farm.
Interior 花椒直播 Farm Forum brings farmers together to share, learn and grow
鈥 Laura Weingartner
What started as an idea to get Interior 花椒直播鈥檚 farming community together to communicate,
learn from and support each other came to fruition in late January. Over 100 farmers,
producers, aspiring farmers and agriculture supporters gathered on Jan. 31 and Feb.
1 for the inaugural Interior 花椒直播 Farm Forum.
For two days, attendees listened to presentations, updates and panel discussions focused on a wide range of topics relevant to farming in 花椒直播鈥檚 unique environment. Topics included crop storage, farm property taxes, grants, plant adaptation and how to start a farm.
花椒直播 SNAP-Ed Update
鈥 Reina Hasting
We are fully staffed and hitting the ground running. We welcomed Allison Bruchhaus
in January as the remote travel nutrition educator based in Anchorage, serving Dillingham
and Nome. We also say farewell to the SNAP-Ed co-principal investigator and CES health,
home and family development agent Leif Albertson as he retires at the end of February.
We will miss him, his work and dedication to the SNAP-Ed program and wish him the
best.
We reached 763 unduplicated participants in federal FY24 through direct education (lessons for six to nine weeks) and a reach of 13,999 participants through indirect, social marketing promotion and policy, system and environment activities at 17 sites.
Dillingham 4-H featured in Bristol Bay Native Corp. podcast
The latest episode of Mug Up with BBNC is live on Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts!
In this episode, we (BBNC) sit down with Deanna Baier, the Tribal Extension Educator for the Bristol Bay 4-H program. She shares her passion for bringing Bristol Bay together through fun activities and clubs with 花椒直播 Native cultures and values.
Tune in on Spotify:
Bristol Bay 4-H also was featured in a story by KDLG public radio titled "Dillingham students explore culture through hands-on lessons in after-school program":
Livestock presentation and Q&A with North Kenai Peninsula Farm Bureau
Jim Vinyard, a livestock researcher with the 花椒直播 Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, will present a talk titled 鈥淟ivestock Nutrition in 花椒直播: Herd Management Strategies鈥 on March 6, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. The presentation will include a question-and-answer session.
The is hosting the talk. Members of 4-H and Future Farmers of America are encouraged to attend.
The event will begin with a potluck at 6 p.m. followed by Vinyard鈥檚 presentation at 6:30 p.m. at the , 40610 Kalifornsky Beach Road, Kenai. The presentation will also be available on Zoom. For more information, contact the UAF Cooperative Extension Service at uaf-ianre@alaska.edu, or 1-877-520-5211.
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Rebecca Yoder at rlyoder@alaska.edu or 907-745-3360. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to amnorris2@alaska.edu.
Upcoming activities
We have dozens of statewide activities already on the calendar through May. Check them out on the IANRE website: /ianre/
In the News
- KUAC's Tim Ellis previewed the upcoming Delta Farm Forum:
- Heidi Rader's Feb. 16 garden column in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
- The News-Miner has a story and photo package covering the Tanana District鈥檚 4-H open house in the Feb. 11 paper:
- The News-Miner covered the Interior 花椒直播 Farm Forum on Feb. 2: and in Kris Capps鈥 column:
- Art Nash鈥檚 column in the Feb. 9 News-Miner:
- Reina Hasting鈥檚 column in the Jan. 29 News-Miner:
- Marla Lowder鈥檚 column in the Jan. 12 News-Miner:
(Note, if you don't subscribe to the News-Miner, you can read Extension columns on the )